On a Someday not so Far Away
by chirlagirl
Summary: Joshua Mathews is living his life in NYU but must decide how serious his relationship is with his present girlfriend when a certain blond and blue eyed girl keeps popping into his mind. Taking another girl to meet his family is certainly a big step. Will he take the leap or decide to keep playing the Long Game?


I.

Joshua Mathews chewed on his pencil as he finished checking his last exam paper of the semester. Taking philosophy classes with Professor Weinstein wasn't the easiest decision he made as the Professor was a task master, but Josh felt like he needed the extra push and challenge this year. Anything to take his mind off the stress that came with his personal life. He had been going out with Candace Holsten since last year and, at first, the prospect of going out with Candace was exciting and refreshing. She was thoughtful, caring and extremely intelligent, all qualities that Joshua admired in a girl. However, lately, their relationship had hit a snag. There was something else missing in their relationship that Joshua couldn't quite place. There were so many things about her that he found appealing. Sure her outer beauty was an added bonus. He could watch her smile forever, but even that began to wear out lately. He found himself wanting to be more and more alone and started regretting having invited Candace to meet his brother Corey and his family this summer.

Candace, like Joshua, was a senior in NYU. They had met on an outing with friends and both hit it off right away. Candace liked Joshua's easy demeanor and ability to make everyone feel at ease. That's what first attracted her to him. It also helped that he was quite handsome and carried himself with a sense of maturity and self-confidence. Candace smiled inside thinking of her boyfriend. She was sure meeting Joshua's family was a step in the right direction. She did feel a bit guilty for pushing him into having her meet his big brother Corey but she was sure that taking that huge step with Joshua meant that their relationship was growing stronger. After all, he had met her parents when they came to visit and they loved him. Eventually Candace dreamed of having a more stable life with Joshua once they graduated next year. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Joshua walking down the hall of the Philosophy Department towards her. She beamed at him as she saw the look of surprise in his eyes when he spotted her.

"Hey!" he greeted rather uneasily as he brushed his hair back in a nervous gesture. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, silly!" Candace replied as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I've missed you! I haven't seen you in almost a week! You're not trying to hide from me, are you?" she teased.

Joshua froze a little and nervously said, "Wha…whaaattt? Why would I hide?"

Candace looked up at Joshua in surprise. "I was just kidding, silly. Why are you suddenly so nervous?"

'Tell her!' a little voice inside Joshua screamed. 'Tell her its over!'

"Uhhhhh" Joshua began. "Well…"

"Is it because we're going to meet your family in a couple of days?" Candace asked. She laughed lightly. "Don't worry silly," she said, taking his hand and walking beside him. "Everything will be just fine. You've talked enough about them that it feels like I know them already. I can't wait to meet your big brother Corey, his wife and their kids. You said Riley was an amazing young lady and that you were very fond of her, right?"

"Uhhhh" was all that Josh could say.

"You also said that she had a close group of friends, right?" Candace asked. "You might have mentioned her best friend too, right? I forgot her name, but you said that she was a talented artist?"

At the thought of Maya Joshua smiled. He did mention Maya once to Candace but regretted doing so immediately. Somehow, the thought of Maya wasn't something exactly he wanted to share with anyone, least of all Candace. She was a special part of his life that he wanted to keep locked away inside him. He wasn't quite ready to go there just yet. Therefore, he chose to keep her hidden away. The mere mention of her had him feeling things that he wasn't prepared to face. At least not now.

"Wow, look at the time!" he abruptly said, looking at his non existing watch on his bare wrist. "Listen Candace, I gotta finish my last paper for one of my classes. How about we meet later for dinner? That good?" Before Candace could reply Josh took off and headed for his dorm room. He needed to get as much distance between himself and Candace in order to think more clearly. Things with her were moving pretty fast and Joshua suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe. A little distance from Candace to clear his head was all he needed.

II

Maya looked at herself in the mirror. She was standing in her best friend's bedroom trying not to pass out from nerves.

"For the last time Maya!" Riley cried as she sat crossed legged on her bay window. "You look fantastic! I wouldn't keep changing outfits if I were you!"

Maya pulled at her blond wavy hair and snapped another pin in place in order to secure a loose strand. She was wearing black jeans with a bright blue sweater that made her blue eyes sparkle and stand out. On the insistence of Riley, she only put mascara and a bit of lip gloss to accentuate her look. She was also wearing black high heel boots that her parents bought her as a birthday gift earlier in the year that she chose to wear for special occasions, like today.

"I just want to feel comfortable!" Maya insisted, trying to take control of her nerves as she joined Riley at the bay window. Riley put an arm around her and said, "Maya, it's been a while since you've seen him. You sure you feel the way you say you feel?"

"I told you!" Maya insisted. "I know what I feel and I know that this isn't just a crush Riles. This is stronger than anything I've ever felt in my life."

Riley sat up and looked at Maya in surprise. "I don't even know how I definitely feel Maya, even about Lucas. How can you about my uncle Josh?"

"Riles, I just do," Maya said. "I feel so strongly about him that I sometimes can't even breathe. A part of me is scared about how I feel and the way I feel that I have to stop myself from getting on that train and running to NYU to see him. That's the only way I can describe to you what's going on inside me."

Riley looked thoughtfully at Maya and finally said, "Wow. I didn't know you felt that way about Josh. I knew you liked him but I also thought you had let the idea of him go. You were going out with Peter for a while…"

"I only went out with him because his uncle's restaurant made good pizza Riles," Maya interjected with a laugh. "That was a bad move on my part because he was a great guy. Smart, a little rebellious like me…all the qualities I could ever want in a boyfriend…but I just couldn't let him near me. So I had to let him go."

Riley slumped back against the window. "Well my friend, I guess there are big changes coming then if you've decided that Josh is the one."

"I know he is Riles," Maya insisted. "I feel it deep inside."

Riley didn't want to hurt her best friend but she did have to ask, "What about his girlfriend, Maya? You remember dad said he was bringing her here to meet us. What about what he wants? What he feels? It's not enough that you feel the way you do. He has to feel the same way too. Having us meet her is a huge step. You can't compete with that."

"Maybe not," Maya said biting her lower lip. She took a deep breath and insisted, "I'm in it for the long game. I'm betting that he's in it for the long game too."

"Oooohhhhhh!" Riley exclaimed, feeling excitement and perhaps, for the first time hopeful for her friend. "I'm on team Maya! Can I have a t-shirt with a purple cat too?"

Maya laughed at her friends new found enthusiasm and hugged her. "You can even have a mug… and a matching pin."

"Oh yay!" cried Riley, hugging her friend closer as a part of her also started to feel a bit worried for what might come.

III

Joshua felt nervous coming into Corey and Topanga's building. As the day grew closer to vising them his feelings started to boil over. Candace was a beautiful girl through and through and he felt like such a coward not being able to face her and tell her exactly what was going on. It wasn't fair to string her along, especially if her expectations of him and their relationship were growing. However, seeing her that last day weighed heavily on Joshua. He didn't know how he could disappoint her so much in such a short time.

"My brother!" Corey cried, flinging the door open as Joshua barely started knocking. "Welcome home!"

Joshua was quickly enveloped in multiple hugs at once. Not only was Corey, Topanga, and Auggie there but also Shawn and Katie. Even his parents were there to surprise him.

"Buddy!" his father cried, hugging him with tears in his eyes. "It's so good to see you!"

"Dad! Mom!" Joshua breathed as he hugged them both. "I really missed you two!"

"Oh Joshua, you really need to come visit us more often!" his mother chastised him.

"He just saw us last month on Thanksgiving woman!" her husband reminded her, tearing her away from Joshua. "Let the boy breathe!"

Everyone laughed as Joshua blushed at his mother's reprimand. Corey slapped Joshua in the back and said, "Oh boy, I'm glad you're the youngest!"

Mrs. Mathews pinched Corey on the side and said, "Don't you think I haven't forgotten about you young man! You were supposed to visit too! Snowing hard my…"

"Mom!" Topanga called from the kitchen, trying to save her husband. "I need you to help me with dinner!"

Quickly Corey's mother ran to the kitchen, suddenly forgetting to scold her son and started to go down the list of ingredients that Topanga might have forgotten to include while she was making the chicken. Topanga looked over her mother in laws head and mouthed to her husband, "You owe me!" as Corey shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, Josh," Cory said, looking out the door. "Where's Candace? I thought you were bringing her."

"Well," Josh began. "About that…"

Shawn and Katie looked at each other and both said, "Yeah about that…"

Joshua looked startled. He didn't think he was going to be put on the spot so quickly. "I uh…" he said. "Well, it just wasn't going to work out, so it's just me."

"What happened, Josh?" Corey asked suddenly concerned. "You ok?"

"Yeah, don't worry Corey, it's for the best," Joshua replied with a light laugh. "Candace was a great girl but sometimes things just aren't meant to be. It's better this way."

At that moment Riley and Maya walked into the living room Katie and Shawn started to speak with Joshua. Upon hearing her uncle Riley dared to ask, "What's for the best Uncle Josh?"

"Oh!" Josh said suddenly, noticing his niece and her best friend. At the sight of Maya Joshua's heart skipped a beat and he felt excitement and dread creep up at him at the same time. Oh boy. He knew he was in trouble now. Maya looked older, more mature and a part of him asked, "Could she get even more gorgeous?" Her crystal blue eyes seemed to look right into his heart.

"Uncle Josh?" Riley asked, waiting for him to answer. Joshua blinked, not realizing that he had been now staring at Maya as she stood there, grinning at him.

"Hey Riley!" he stammered. He seemed to get his baring for a minute, finding his voice and said, "It's good to see you! Gosh how you've grown. It wasn't that long ago since I've seen you!" He gave Riley a hug.

"I'm not the only one Uncle Josh," Riley said, motioning him to Maya. "Maya's grown up too. What you think?"

The whole room seemed to stop and stare at Joshua. 'Could this get more awkward?' he thought. Why is the room suddenly so hot?

"I uhhhh…" he stammered. At that moment the bell rang, breaking the awkwardness of the moment as Corey ran to open the door, greeting Lucas and his parents. Suddenly the focus was off of Joshua as everyone turned their attention elsewhere.

As Riley and her parents met Lucas and his parents at the door, Maya walked up to Joshua and asked, "Well stranger, aren't you going to say hello?"

Joshua smiled, glad for the first time that Maya had more guts than he did at their present situation. "Hello," he managed to say and couldn't help but to add, "You look beautiful Maya."

Maya took one step closer. Wow, the room definitely started to feel a bit hotter. Joshua instinctively stepped back and Maya stopped, looking up at him with a puzzled expression.

"I'm not going to bite," she said with a bit of taunt in her voice.

Joshua's heart skipped more beats and immediately went to her smiling pink lips. All the air in the room seemed to get sucked right out. Oh boy. He knew he was in trouble and wasn't quite sure if he should run now. Maya took advantage of Joshua's inability to react and hugged him, making him melt more inside. A flurry of emotions started to overtake Josh and he suddenly pulled away from a confused Maya. "I have to get some fresh air!" he suddenly cried and bolted for the door. "I'll be back!" he called out as he raced outside.

"Maya!" cried Riley as the whole room turned to see Joshua run out the door. "What you do?"

Maya looked at her nails and innocently said, "All I said was hi."

IV

Joshua stood on the rooftop trying to breathe. Seeing Maya was something he expected to happen, but seeing a more mature and beautiful Maya took him for a loop. He just had gotten out of a relationship, one that he thought was serious and meaningful. Had he been wrong all along? Telling Candace that it was over was the hardest thing he had to do, but he just couldn't bring himself to introduce her to her family and truth be told, a huge part of him hated the thought of introducing her to Maya. Maya had always been special to him. He never wanted to do anything to hurt her and chose to be as far away as possible in order not to inflict any pain upon her. Dating Candace was always a good thing, he told himself. He was sure that Maya would move on, and yet, a part of him felt secure in the knowledge that maybe "someday" might one day become a reality.

"I love it up here," Joshua heard a light musical voice say behind him. He stiffened at the sound of her voice. Oh boy! He thought. He was definitely in trouble.

"It's pretty nice," he managed to say without turning around. He felt Maya stand beside him, placing her fingers in close contact with his on the ledge. His eyes focused on her pale light hands and delicate artist fingers. He wondered how they would feel holding his own hands. He had an impulse to touch them suddenly. Maya inched closer and put her head on his shoulder. At first Joshua stiffen and then forced himself to relax. Her head on his shoulder felt like the most natural thing in the world. Like he had finally come home.

"Maya," he began. "I'm still three years older than you."

"You will always be three years older than me Joshua," Maya said laughing lightly. "When you're sixty I'll be fifty-seven. Will you still pull away?" She suddenly faced him. "I'm seventeen now. Are you still going to ignore us?"

Joshua was taken aback. It was true, Maya was already a senior in high school. She was a semester away from going into college. Did he dare take a leap so soon?

"I told you Maya, you need to live your life," he reminded her. "Enjoy life, enjoy being seventeen…"

"I have been enjoying my life Josh!" Maya cried. "I'm hardly sitting by my window moping around you know! But I also know this…" she inched closer, closer than she ever had to him and dared to look up at his deep brown eyes. "I also know that there are special times in a girl's life that are meaningful and forever…like first dates, first crushes…all of that. I want to choose who to go out with and who gets to get close to me Josh. I let myself live the high school life and enjoyed every minute of it."

"So?" Josh asked, a bit confused.

"So…there is just one thing left from my high school experience that I've always wanted with the right person but I never managed to have," Maya told him, never missing a beat. "And you know why? Because that one special boy that I want to share that experience with was tucked away somewhere in some University in New York."

"Wait, Maya…" Joshua stammered. "This is a bit fast…"

"Shut up Josh," Maya commanded. "I'm not talking about "going all the way stuff…" just what kind of girl do you take me for?"

Josh looked taken aback. "I'm sorry Maya, I didn't mean any offense…"

"I want you to kiss me," Maya went on. "We'll keep playing the long game if you like, but you need to kiss me."

"I do?" Josh stammered, his eyes suddenly going to Maya's lips. "Listen, I just think…"

"Stop thinking you moron!" Maya demanded. "I'm telling you I want you to be the first to ever kiss me and you are thinking about it?"

Something in Joshua broke. The thought of tasting Maya's lips, of being the first to claim a kiss from her started to drive him crazy. Before he could stop himself he pulled her to him and kissed her. He poured all of his feelings and desires into that one kiss. A part of him was afraid to scare her, but he knew he couldn't deny himself the pleasure of touching her this one time. Only this one time, he promised.

Maya was knocked out for a loop. She dreamed about this moment ever since Joshua agreed to play the long game with her a while back at the ski lodge, but she never knew it could feel like this. Joshua's lips were hot and demanding, oh so more sinfully appealing than she could ever dream of. So this was what it felt like kissing her Uncle Boing. Delicious, magical…like walking into a storm. Maya let his kiss consume her, entice her…she knew she was already lost when she saw Joshua again, but his kiss sealed the deal. Her heart, she knew, was always going to belong to him.

Joshua knew he should stop now. Taking things with Maya to another level was never presently in his plans, even though it felt wonderful to have her in his arms, as though she belonged there this whole time. He slowed down his kiss and slowly broke away. Both of them were breathing heavily as they clung to each other in the aftermath of their kiss.

"Thank you Josh," Maya breathed. "Is kissing always so…so…"

Josh chuckled, "No, Maya," he said. "Kissing is never so…so…but it seems so with you."

Josh looked deep into Mayas eyes and said, "As much as I want to Maya, you know we can't do this again, right?"

"Is the age difference really such a big deal now?" she asked in frustration.

"Now more so than ever," Joshua cautioned. "Maya, it's your last semester of high school. You're under age and if kissing you feels…well…so, so…I can't promise that I can keep my hands to myself," he confessed. "I just couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt you, you understand?"

Maya took a step back and smiled sadly. "I understand" she replied. "I just can't promise that once I'm eighteen I won't go looking for you Mathews. Someday is coming soon."

Joshua laughed and said, "I'll look forward to it Heart. Someday can't come soon enough."


End file.
